Construction Safety is one of the core courses in the Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment (OSH&E) Bachelor of Science degree program at Southeastern Louisiana University. This course addresses the application of management principles, communication and human relations factors, safety/health rules, industry and federal standards, accident investigation, and technical issues especially within the job planning phases in the construction industry.
As is well recognized in the occupational safety, health, and environment field, construction industry presents a variety of safety and health related hazards and/or hazardous conditions (Broderick 3, Schneider 635). The statistics from BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) indicate that the rates of occupational injuries and illnesses among construction workers are generally higher than the average of all industrial sectors every year (BLS 2011). Therefore, it is desired that safety, health, and environmental professionals clearly understand the essentials of construction safety and health, and be able to apply the principles of safety, health, and environment to anticipate, identify, analyze, and control workplace hazards within the construction industry.
One of the most important course objectives for Construction Safety is to describe the legal aspects including liability and regulatory requirements of construction safety. In order to achieve this objective successfully, the author has developed a participatory approach to help students learn OSHA Safety and Health Regulations for Construction.
